Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman (First U.S. Edition, First Printing, 1986 Hardcover)

First U.S. edition, first printing of Vasily Grossman’s monumental novel Life and Fate, published by Harper & Row in 1986 and translated from the Russian by Robert Chandler. The copyright page states “FIRST U.S. EDITION” and carries the complete number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, confirming the first printing. ISBN 0-06-015365-2. This edition runs approximately 880 pages.

Grossman’s sweeping World War II novel centers on the Battle of Stalingrad and Soviet society under Stalin, and is widely regarded as one of the major Russian novels of the twentieth century. The manuscript was famously suppressed in the Soviet Union before eventually reaching the West.

This copy retains the original illustrated dust jacket and teal cloth boards with gilt spine lettering. The dust jacket shows visible edge wear, particularly along the upper edge and spine ends, with some rubbing and small chips/creases, but remains bright and visually strong.